Earlier this month, I had the incredible opportunity to hold a music photography workshop in LA, all thanks to the generous support of Nikon. This event was really a dream come true.
Education has always been important to me, and this workshop felt like a beautiful combination of so many aspects of my past experience. I started out in education in the most humble of ways: sharing tips on this blog you're reading now. From there, I've had incredible opportunities to teach workshops for Best Buy and Creative Live, including a masterclass on music photography I made in 2019.
Earlier when Nikon approached me about teaching a set of workshops, it was a hugely exciting opportunity. I was given pretty much carte blanche, with just a few requests:
- Hold it in Los Angeles
- 3 workshops
- 4 hours for each workshop
Other than that, it was left up to me to determine — and to produce. The latter felt a little daunting, but the workshop came together better than I possibly could have imagined.
As luck would have it, my friend and brilliant educator Michelle Grace Hunder was visiting the US the month of August from Australia. Not only is Michelle a deeply experienced instructor, she's also a Nikon Creator with Nikon Australia, which felt like the perfect fit for partnering on this workshop.
We ended up booking some incredible talent for the subjects of this workshop, both for Michelle portraiture session and the live music session that I led.
The talent included:
For the live music portion that I led, I was so excited to work with Jess and Leanne. Literally world class talent, we were lucky to have them. Jess is drummer for her band the Summer Set and also works with Lights, JAX, 3OH!3 and others, while Leanne is bandleader and bassist for Demi Lovato and many others. Absolute pros, I was thrilled to have these two as the most badass subjects for workshop students.
On the portrait side, I was able to grab a few minutes with the phenomenal Fang Banger, who were just absolute stars in front of the camera. While I didn't work with Kawan or Elyse, I saw so many fantastic images from attendees of these top talents as well. I felt so lucky to have every one of these pros as part of the workshop.
We partnered with Godox to feature some absolutely incredible RGB LED lights from their KNOWLED line. We used these Godox lights for both the live music setup and also the portraiture stations. This included the brand new MG1200R and the brilliant M600R.
It was incredibly easy to dial in the lights and change them wirelessly via the Godox app from my phone. This ecosystem of lights worked perfectly for the workshop and was a pleasure to use.
The workshop was held at the gorgeous Ivory Space studios in LA. Huge thank you to Kohl and Wenbin at the Ivory Space. They were true partners and helped produce this shoot immaculately. I am so thankful for their work, as well as for the help of their team Camila, Dan and Tim.
If you're in LA and looking for a rock solid team with a variety of spaces, the Ivory Space has my highest recommendation.
This whole event was made possible by Nikon USA. Their generous support made this workshop completely free to attend, which was an unimaginable gift. I love Nikon for a variety of reasons, but their commitment to education and community is a reason they're an incredible company to work with as brand ambassador.
As a bonus, all the students were able to use the new Nikon Z6III during this workshop. This camera was honestly a perfect choice for music photography overall. Exceptional low light performance, phenomenal autofocus precision and tracking, this is a great do-it-all camera for any music photographer.
We had some fantastic feedback from attendees. Here are some testimonials from a few students:
Todd's expertise in live music photography and the music photography business is unparalleled. His teaching style is engaging, insightful, and filled with practical knowledge that truly elevates your skills. Todd not only teaches the technical aspects but also offers invaluable industry insights, making his course an essential experience for any aspiring music photographer. Highly recommended!
Michelle is a wealth of knowledge for all things music photography. From portrait work to live music, Michelle has done it all over the world. We are thankful as she generously shared her time and insight with our group. Her earnest take on how to work with musicians and to create the environment for successful photography is what makes her so admirable.
Michelle is a wealth of knowledge for all things music photography. From portrait work to live music, Michelle has done it all over the world. We are thankful as she generously shared her time and insight with our group. Her earnest take on how to work with musicians and to create the environment for successful photography is what makes her so admirable.
When it comes to instruction, there are few as good as Todd Owyoung. His real world knowledge is difficult to match. What stands out to me his approach and attitude towards the various student levels. He approaches everything, every question, every comment, from such a kind and supportive place. It's this, I believe, allows people to better absorb the content.
Michelle's approach to teaching portrait photography and the music photography business is both inspiring and effective. Her guidance helped me break free from overthinking, allowing me to embrace creativity and truly enjoy the process. Michelle's insights and encouragement made learning fun and rewarding, making her course an invaluable experience for anyone looking to excel in these fields
Todd was a pleasure to work with. He was very clear and candid about sharing his knowledge on music photography and the business of music photography. This made learning from him very fun and I feel like learned a lot in such a short amount of time. Would love to work with him again in the future.
Michelle Hunder is, simply put, one of the kindest and most knowledgable people in the music photography space. Always the pro, she injects humor and real world examples to make the learning experience better for everyone. If you're looking to improve your craft, including on the business side of things, you'd be hard pressed to find a better person to learn from.
Todd is as amazing as an educator as he is a photographer. Todd's seamlessly transitions from technical knowledge to personal philosophy is what sets Todd apart from others. It is clear Todd's passion translates to an infectious desire to share the world of music photography and a genuine desire to uplift the art form by stewarding the next class of photographers.
